The Swedes have scored the most goals (69) of all teams in the Allsvenskan league. On the European stage, Häcken have had a relatively high number of shots on goal but the conversion rate leaves room for improvement. The team have lost all six games in European competitions in the past and conceded 21 goals (3.5 per game) and only scored three (0.5 per game) along the way.
Meanwhile good omens for the opposition: Bayer 04 have won all three previous games against Swedish clubs in Europe – 1986/87 in the UEFA Cup at home and away to Kalmar FF plus the game on matchday one in the current Europa League campaign against Häcken (4-0). And: The Black and Reds have won all four games in the Europa League this season. A fifth win would be historic as the last time there were five wins in succession in Europe was in the UEFA Cup in 1994/95.
The Swedish league season ended for Häcken three weeks ago. The champions of last season finished third this term and also won the Swedish Cup. As Häcken have not played another game since 12 November, the team prepared for the match against Bayer 04 with a friendly last Friday. The Black and Yellows, at home at the Ullevi in Gothenburg, beat Norwegian second division team Kongsvinger IL 2-1.
Häcken are bottom of the table in Group H of the Europa League with no points to date. All four games ended in defeat, sometimes significantly so. The 4-0 reverse at the Werkself was followed by a 1-0 defeat at home to Qarabag and most recently two defeats (1-5, 1-3) against Molde. Together with TSC Backa Topola, group opponents for SC Freiburg, Häcken have conceded 13 goals and that is the equal highest of all the 32 teams participating in the competition. The lowdown on the next opponents.
UEFA has appointed the Austrian Julian Weinberger as the referee the match in Gothenburg. The 38-year-old will be assisted by his fellow countrymen Andreas Heidenreich and Maximilian Kolbitsch on the touchlines and another Austrian Walter Altmann is the VAR.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Cedric Pick. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with U19 midfielder Jonah Berghoff ahead of schedule. The Germany U18 international has signed professional terms with the club to 30 June 2030.
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Two months of preparation, five friendlies and the return of a familiar training camp location: After finishing fifth in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga last season, the Werkself will return to training on Tuesday, 23 June. Bayer04.de outlines the key dates in the 2026 summer timetable.
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With sixth place at the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Bayer 04 ended a season in the top third of the table for the ninth time in a row. While the Werkself were narrowly eliminated in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 by eventual finalists Arsenal, the Black and Reds reached the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third season in succession. As in previous years, you once again have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is exclusively for Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app up to and including 11 June.
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